Top Israeli human rights lawyer calls West Bank occupation 'apartheid' in legal opinion
Top Israeli human rights lawyer calls West Bank occupation 'apartheid' in legal opinion
A prominent Israeli human rights lawyer denounced Israel's occupation of the West Bank and annexation plans as "apartheid".
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Israel's planned annexation of parts of the West Bank has been widely condemned [Getty]
A leading Israeli human rights lawyer said Israel's occupation of the West Bank amounted to "apartheid" in a legal opinion published Thursday.
In his piece for Israeli non-profit organisation Yesh Din, prominent human rights lawyer Michael Sfard criticised Israel's occupation of the West Bank and plans to annex swathes of the territory.
"The conclusion of this legal opinion is that the crime against humanity of apartheid is being committed in the West Bank," wrote Sfard. "The perpetrators are Israelis, and the victims are Palestinians."
Sfard said the occupation "comes with a gargantuan colonisation project" and that Israel has "gone to great lengths to cement its domination over the occupied residents and ensure their inferior status".
He added that Israeli authorities implemented policies that amount to an "inexhaustive list" of inhuman acts under international law.
Sfard further argued that Israel's "continued creeping legal annexation" would make the case for Israel as a whole being an "apartheid regime".
"That is distressing and shameful," Sfard wrote. "And even if not all Israelis are guilty of the crime, we are all responsible for it."
Israel's planned annexation of parts of the West Bank was met with growing international opposition.
Last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced Israel's annexation plans in an op-ed published by one of Israel's leading newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth.
EU leaders have also attempted to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon annexation and urged his government to respect international law.
Last month, more than 1,000 European lawmakers from 25 countries called on their leaders to step in and stop Israel's planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.
In the US, several senior pro-Israel Democrats have voiced their opposition to annexations, while their more leftist colleagues advocated for cutting US military aid to Israel if the Jewish state moves to annex parts of the West Bank.
Though Israel had planned to launch annexations on July 1, the plans have undergone some delays.
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In his piece for Israeli non-profit organisation Yesh Din, prominent human rights lawyer Michael Sfard criticised Israel's occupation of the West Bank and plans to annex swathes of the territory.
"The conclusion of this legal opinion is that the crime against humanity of apartheid is being committed in the West Bank," wrote Sfard. "The perpetrators are Israelis, and the victims are Palestinians."
Sfard said the occupation "comes with a gargantuan colonisation project" and that Israel has "gone to great lengths to cement its domination over the occupied residents and ensure their inferior status".
He added that Israeli authorities implemented policies that amount to an "inexhaustive list" of inhuman acts under international law.
Sfard further argued that Israel's "continued creeping legal annexation" would make the case for Israel as a whole being an "apartheid regime".
"That is distressing and shameful," Sfard wrote. "And even if not all Israelis are guilty of the crime, we are all responsible for it."
Israel's planned annexation of parts of the West Bank was met with growing international opposition.
Last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced Israel's annexation plans in an op-ed published by one of Israel's leading newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth.
EU leaders have also attempted to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon annexation and urged his government to respect international law.
Last month, more than 1,000 European lawmakers from 25 countries called on their leaders to step in and stop Israel's planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.
In the US, several senior pro-Israel Democrats have voiced their opposition to annexations, while their more leftist colleagues advocated for cutting US military aid to Israel if the Jewish state moves to annex parts of the West Bank.
Though Israel had planned to launch annexations on July 1, the plans have undergone some delays.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected
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